walker



(No ModeL) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

F. H. WALKER.

FOLDING BED.

No. 385,736. Patented July 10, 1888.

Egg, 2.

M/iiness 662 u. PETERS, Phomullwgmphm Wnhington. u. c.

(No Model.) 2 SheetsSheet 2.

F. H. WALKER.

FOLDING BED.

No. 385,736. 2 Patentd July 10, 1888.

lUNTTnb STATES PATENT @FMCE.

FRANCIS H. WALKER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOPU TO M. M. WALKER,

- OF SAME PLACE.

FOLDING BED.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 385,736, dated July 10,1888.

Application filed September 10, 1886. Serial No.213fl20. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, FRANCIS H. WALKER, a citizen ofthe United States,residing at Ohicago, in the county of Cook and State of lllil nois, haveinvented certain newand useful I'mprovemcnts in Folding Beds; and Idohercby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in theart to which it IO appertains to make and use the same.

My invention consists in certain constructions,arrangen'icnts,andcombinations of parts, as will be hereinafter described and specificallyclaimed, whereby an improved folding bed of wardrobe or other suitableform is produced.

In the accompanying drawings, illustrating one mode of carrying out myinvention, Figure 1 is a vertical section in the line a: m of Fig. 2 ofthe wardrobe folding bed unfolded and folded, it being shown by fulllines unfolded and by dotted lines folded. Fig. 2 is a top view of thebedstead unfolded, a portion of one of the capping strips of the framingbe- 2 ing broken away on one side to showparts below. Fig. 3 is avertical transverse section of the ward robe-frame forward. of thesprings, the other parls being shown in front elevation. Figs. 4 and 5are detail views showing the 0 construction of the respective legs ofthe bedstead; and Figs. 6, 7, and 8 are detail views showing a hook, astaple, and the hooked end of a spring covered with rubber or otheryield ing material at their points of connection or 5 hearing, forpreventing unpleasant creaking sounds when the bedstead is being foldedor unfolded.

A in the drawings represents a portion ofa suitable outer frame orcasing with its usual front cover or cap left off, so as to expose theworking parts, and B is a suitable bed supporting frame, which isapplied tosaid frame or casing A, and adapted to fold into and swing outof the same. On the inner side of each 5 side piece, a a, of the frame,which in this in stance is of wardrobe form, friction wheels or rollersb I) are hung on fixed axial pins 0 0, se cured in said side pieces. Thesaid rollers or wheels are set a short distance apart, and they may beformed with the pins, so that they and the pins shall revolve together.Between these rollers or wheels, and under capping strips 3 of the frameA and above their axial pins, the pivotjournalsd d of the bed-supportingframe B are placed, the rollers form- 5; ing an anti-friction rollingbearing for the bedsupporting frame B to swing upon in folding in andout of the wanlrobe-casing. This con struction gives a very easymovement and re d uces the friction upon thcjouruals (Z (Z.

To the bottom side of the bed-supporting frame B, and to the inner sidesof the base of the ward robe frame near the front. spiral springs G Oare connected by means of hooks f, formed on the ends of the springs,and sta- .65 ples or hooks f f are inserted, respectively, into thebed-supporting frame and base of the wardrobe-frame, as shown. Thehooked. ends fofthe springs, as well as the hooks or staplesff may becovered with a rubber or other analogous yielding sheathing, h, for thepurpose of preventing unpleasant creaking sounds produced by metalliccontact between thehooks of the springs and their supportingeonnectionswhen the bed-supportingframeis 7 folded into and swung out of thewardrobelike frame or casing. The spiral springs C O are arranged tolie, respectively, inclined to a horizontal position, and occupy anoblique position with respect to the front verticalslde of thewardrobe-frame A, as shown, when the bed-supporting frame is foldedwithin the wardrobelike frame. The spiral springs, by lying in aninclined position and standing di agonally or obliquely with respect tothe front 8 of the wardrobe-frame A, in the manner described and shown,pull against the bedsupporting frame B below the journals d d with justsufficient power to keep it folded within the wardrobe-like frame, andthey act with go a gradually-increasing resistance when thebed-supporting frame, with its lead of bedding, is being swung out ofthe Wardrobeframe, thereby preventinga sudden fall of the same upon thefloor; but while this is the case 93 these springs assume, as shown, adiagonal and nearly-horizontal position when the bedsupporting frame isresting upon the floor, and thus cannot act with sufficient force tocause the bed-supporting"frame to fold back into the loo wardrobedramewhile it is resting upon the floor, nor with a force tending to pullover the wardrobe-frame. The action of the springs whenthebed-supporting frame is resting upon the floor is so slight that theweight of said frame keeps it down to its unfolded position, this beingdue to the fact that the points of connection for the springs on thebed-supporting frame are such that the springs lie and exert theirstrain nearly on a plane with the journals d d when the said frame isunfolded, and thus cannot overcome the greater weight forward of saidjournals. I

In folding the bed supporting frame'within the wardrobe frame thesprings, after their points of connection with the bed-supporting frameare moved downward beyond the irposition illustrated in Fig. 2, (whichposition is nearly a horizontal plane,) begin to exert their greatestpower, and thereby aid in the folding operation, and when thebed-supportingframc is fully folded within the wardrobe-frame they (thesprings) act with a force to keep it in its folded position becausetheir points of connection with the bed-supporting frame stand below thejournals dd and forward of the same, while their points of connectionwith the outer frame or casing, A, stand forward of their points ofconnection with the frame B, and thus the frame B is made to afford aleverage upon which the power of the springs is exerted for the purposeof aiding in folding the bed-supporting frame and for holdingit folded.By arranging the springs diagonally they can be made of greaterlength orvolume in a given distance.

I am aware that springs and weights have been used for balancing anupright or folding bed-support, and my invention is designed to overcomethe tendency of the springs to pull over the wardrobe-frame when madestrong enough to balance the bed-supporting frame proper, B, whenunfolded or adjusted ready for use.

By my construction the power of the spiral springs is so adjusted as tosubstantially take away the downward pull or strain when the bed-frameproper is unfolded, at the same time to have these springs in a positionready for use when the bed-supporting frame is to be raised or lowered.This is accomplished by having one end of the spiral springs fastened tothe wardrobe-frame at a point as far above the bottom of the said frameand sufficiently low down to be out of the way of the under side of thebed-supportin g frame proper when unfolded or in use, while the otherends of the spiral springs are fastened to the under side of the headend of the bed-supporting frame, as shown. This arrangement of thesprings causes them to stand nearly parallel with the vertical frontside of the wardrobeframe when the bed-supportingframeis folded, saidsprings running up and down diago'nally orobliquely (more or less) fromright to left or left to right, as may be necessary by the length of thesprings required for proper and easy working of the folding bed-frame.

The springs are kept out of sight when the wardrobe frame is providedwith an ordinary front cover or cap. (Not represented in the drawings.)\Vhen the bedsupporting frame is unfolded or lowered, the springs followone are of a circle, straining more and more until the said frame isfully down or adjusted for use, at which stage the springs will haveassumed a diagonal or oblique ppsition and lie nearly on a horizontalplane to and parallel with the bottom side of the bed-supporting frame.The springs in this position produce a strain forward and back insteadof up and down, and the tendency is to hold the supporting frameunfolded or down without straining or pulling over the wardrobe-frame.By my invention I am enabled to use much heavier springs than heretoforewithout harm to the wardrobe-frame, inasmuch as when the strain isheaviest there is less strain up and down, and, as there is little or nostrain when the bed-supporting frame is folded within the wardrobe-case,the springs can be easily (1e tached or attached. The spiral springs maybe placed parallel, or nearly so, with the sides of the bed-supportingframe and answer a good purpose, and when so placed they will runstraight up and down when the bedsupporting frame is folded within thewardrobe frame.

The legs D of the bed-supporting frame are arranged to slide in and outin guides D of said frame, instead of to swing as heretofore. They areslotted and provided, respectively, with a self-adjusting dog, 71, whichis pivoted to the leg so as to swing in and out in the slot, as shown.Each leg is fitted in a passage provided in a corner of thebed-supporting frame, and at each of these passages the guide D isprovided, as shown, and in the leg a stop-pin, a, is inserted forcontrolling the extent of its outward movement, its inward movementbeing controlled by an ornamental knob-like termination on its outerend. Stop-pinspp are also applied in front and in rear of the dog it,for controlling its swinging movements. The outer ends of the legs aremade ornamental, so that when thelegs are forced inward these ends shallgive a neat finish or appearance to the wardrobe-frame. IVith these legsthere is no hand adjustment necessary when the bedsupporting frame isunfolded or lowered, for the legs move outward by their gravity, and thedogs by their gravity assume the locking position represented. \Vhen thebedsupporting frame is folded, the legs are forced in by hand and standconcealed, excepting that their k nob-shaped ends appear as ornamentalprojections on the front of the wardrobe-frame.

I contemplate making the wardrobe-frame with an open front, and coveringthe front when the bed-supporting frame is folded up with a hangingcurtain, thus making a lighter, structure and securing a handsomeornament.

\Vhat I claim as my invention is l. The combination, with the frame A,provided with pivot-journal bearings, and the ICO IIO

swinging and folding bed'snpporting frame B, provided with pivot-journals, of the spiral springs 0, arranged diagonally beneath thebedsupporting frame B, and connected, re spectivel y, to staples nearthe head end of said frame and to staples on the inner walls of theouter case, A, said springs standing inclined to a horizontal plane andoblique with respect to the front vertical side of the outer case whenthe bedsupporting frame is folded, and occupying a nearly-horizontal anddiagonal position when the bed supporting frame is lowered,substantially as and for the purpose described.

2. The combination, with the frame A, provided with pivot -journalbearings, and the swinging and folding bed-snp riorting frame B,provided with pivot-journals, of the spiral springs 0, arranged beneaththe bed-supporting frame B, and connected, respectively, to staples nearthe head end of said frame and to staples on the inner side walls of theouter case, A, said springs standing inclined to a horizontal plane andoblique with respect to the front wall of the caseA when thebedsupporting fraineis folded,and occupyinga nearlyhorizontal positionwhen said frame is lowered, substantially as and for the purposedescribed.

3. The folding bedstead having its respect ive bearings for thepivotjournals (Z (Z of its bedsupporting frame B formed of the wheels orrollers b 1), pins 0 c, and cappingapieces s s and the side baseportions of the frame A, substantially as and for the purpose described.

4-. The combination, with frame A, of the bed supporting frame B,pivoted to the frame A, and provided with sliding legs 1D, having dogs harranged diagonally in slots of the legs between stops, and pivoted byone, of their ends to the legs, and acting to fold or adjust themselveswithin the legs and to adjust themselves partly outside thelegs,accordingly as the bedsupporting frame is folded or unfolded,substantially as and for the purpose described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

FRANCIS H. \VALKER.

W'i tn esses:

E. R. WALKER, MELLo F. DOONEBOSOH.

